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New York, 6:03 AM
Tue Dec 1
61 posts in the last 24 hours

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  • posts about #protontherapy more →

    Get Your Cancer Zapped by a Gigantic, Proton-Spewing Cyclotron
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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of ZLevee ZLevee
    02/20/09

    In reply to Get Your Cancer Zapped by a Gigantic, Proton-Spewing Cyclotron
    Stargate?
     Reply
    ZLevee was starred ZLevee was unstarred
    Image of Jrsy Devil's Advocate® Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
    02/19/09

    In reply to Get Your Cancer Zapped by a Gigantic, Proton-Spewing Cyclotron
    This thing looks like it can beam the tumor out of your body and rematerialize it across time and space..
     Reply
    Jrsy Devil's Advocate® was starred Jrsy Devil's Advocate® was unstarred
    Image of Curves Curves
    02/19/09

    In reply to Get Your Cancer Zapped by a Gigantic, Proton-Spewing Cyclotron
    Great purpose, I hope it works, but my first thought at seeing the picture, was that it reminded me of something that would be in Dr Frankensteins lab......
     Reply
    Curves was starred Curves was unstarred
    Image of admoseremic admoseremic
    02/19/09

    In reply to Get Your Cancer Zapped by a Gigantic, Proton-Spewing Cyclotron
    Sure beats drinking my own urine.
     Reply
    admoseremic was starred admoseremic was unstarred
    Image of Jrsy Devil's Advocate® Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
    02/20/09

    @admoseremic: Yeah but can this thing quench your thirst as well?
     Reply
    Jrsy Devil's Advocate® was starred Jrsy Devil's Advocate® was unstarred
    Image of Skunky Skunky
    02/19/09

    In reply to Get Your Cancer Zapped by a Gigantic, Proton-Spewing Cyclotron
    How much to put one on the forehead of a freakin' shark?
     Reply
    Skunky was starred Skunky was unstarred
    Image of Lite: hates Illinois Nazis Lite: hates Illinois Nazis
    02/19/09

    In reply to Get Your Cancer Zapped by a Gigantic, Proton-Spewing Cyclotron
    So now we know how Dr. Manhatten became what he did.
     Reply
    Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was starred Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was unstarred
    Image of Jrsy Devil's Advocate® Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
    02/19/09

    @Lite: thinks they will listen to Reason (tm): Step inside and you to can be the next member of the Blue Man Group..
     Reply
    Jrsy Devil's Advocate® was starred Jrsy Devil's Advocate® was unstarred
    Image of TheSonOfKrypton TheSonOfKrypton
    02/19/09

    In reply to Get Your Cancer Zapped by a Gigantic, Proton-Spewing Cyclotron
    Adam, "as protons have a "much shorter and predictable range of energy delivery than photons.". Did you mean electrons?
     Reply
    TheSonOfKrypton was starred TheSonOfKrypton was unstarred
    Image of EllenRose EllenRose
    02/19/09

    @TheSonOfKrypton: The photons in question are probably X-ray photons, which have been used in cancer treatments for a hundred years and more. I'd imagine electron beams could be used also, but they really are not much competition for the X-ray.
     Reply
    EllenRose was starred EllenRose was unstarred
    Image of zeusalmighty zeusalmighty
    02/19/09

    @EllenRose: Well, "hundred years and more" is an overstatement, as they were discovered merely around 100 years ago.


    Also, x-rays do not possess any theraupeutic value, they are used exclusively for diagnosis. For cancer treatment you would need higher-energy photons such as gamma rays or the spectrum from a linac. Or protons and such.


    As the article is concerned, protons do indeed have a more predictable energy deposition, since they do not scatter as much as photons and have much greater probability of interaction.

     Reply
    zeusalmighty was starred zeusalmighty was unstarred
    Image of zeusalmighty zeusalmighty
    02/19/09

    @zeusalmighty: I hate correcting myself. Gamma rays are used for diagnosis, not therapy.
     Reply
    zeusalmighty was starred zeusalmighty was unstarred
    Image of Gann Gann
    02/19/09

    @zeusalmighty: No, were are right. Gamma rays are the primary radiosurgery treatment used today.


    [gammaknife.org]

     Reply
    Gann was starred Gann was unstarred
    Image of Zhi Zhang Zhi Zhang
    02/19/09

    Excuse me while I drop some knowledge on all y'alls. The characteristics of protons are very different from the photons used in conventional radiation therapy. In classical radiation therapy, photon energy is deposited along the entire path of the radiation with max energy deposited within a short distance from the entrance. Protons, however, exhibits increasing energy with depth leading to a maximum (Bragg peak) near the end of the range, followed by a rapid dose fall off. As a result we have a much better dose conformity in that there is minimal dose to the skin and also being able to avoid critical organs like the spinal cord, which is very sensitive to radiation.
     Reply
    Zhi Zhang was starred Zhi Zhang was unstarred
    Image of Gann Gann
    02/20/09

    @Zhi Zhang: Mostly true. The energy from each individual photon does decrease exponentially as it passes through matter. However, with modern techniques the photons are fired at the target from a variety of angles so the max energy is deposited at their convergence. Think of it like a magnifying glass.


     Reply
    Gann was starred Gann was unstarred
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